Unit 1 - Epistemology and Metaphysics

Epistemology

The branch of philosophy that deals with questions of knowledge.

Propositional Knowledge

Knowledge that a proposition is true or false.

Personal/Acquaintance Knowledge

Knowledge held on the basis of being acquainted with the subject.

Procedural Knowledge

Knowledge concerning how to perform activities.

Justified True Belief

The traditional notion that knowledge consists of three components: belief, truth, and justification.

Gettier Problem

A challenge to the justified true belief definition of knowledge, suggesting that more criteria may be necessary.

Correspondence Theory of Truth

The view that beliefs are true if they correspond to the facts or reality.

Coherence Theory of Truth

The idea that a belief is true if it fits into a coherent system of beliefs.

Pragmatic Theory of Truth

The perspective that truth is determined by its satisfactory outcome or utility.

Skepticism

The rejection of some or all knowledge claims.

Global/Pyrrhonian Skepticism

The most extreme form of skepticism that rejects any and all knowledge claims.

Local/Metaphysical Skepticism

Skepticism that does allow for some knowledge claims.

Methodological Skepticism

Using skepticism as a method to generate knowledge.

Inductive Arguments

Arguments that provide probable support for conclusions based on empirical evidence.

The Problem of Induction

The philosophical issue concerning how we can justify knowledge of the future based on past experiences.

Hume's Problem with Induction

The critique that our assumptions about future knowledge based on past experience are not deductively valid.

Basic Beliefs

Beliefs that are accepted without reliance on other beliefs, often considered foundational.

Pentecostal Epistemology

A worldview emphasizing openness to God, embodied experience, and affective knowledge.

Materialism

The belief that everything that exists is material; a form of monism.

Dualism

The view that two kinds of things exist in the world: material and immaterial.

Idealism

The philosophical stance that only mental things, such as minds and ideas, truly exist.

Mind-Body Problem

The philosophical dilemma regarding how mental states relate to physical states.

Functionalism

The theory that mental states are defined by their functional role, rather than by their physical substrate.

Consciousness

The experience of being aware of one's thoughts, feelings, and surroundings.

Chalmers' Zombies

Hypothetical beings that behave like humans but lack subjective experience.

Interventionist Supernaturalism

The belief in a supernatural being that intervenes in the natural order.

Enchanted Naturalism

The view that acknowledges the physical while embracing God's continual involvement in creation.